


Home Sweet Home

by DarkWolfFire



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Deserves Nice Things, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kid Fic, M/M, Stiles Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 00:10:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkWolfFire/pseuds/DarkWolfFire
Summary: Stiles has been avoiding returning to Beacon Hills while he was at college--But now with twin werewolf babies in tow, he hopes the pack that didn't seem to want him, will be okay with him in town.





	Home Sweet Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty much adorable fluff that has been sitting mostly done on my hard drive for like a year I decided to finish...

Stiles sighed as he laid back on his bed. He groaned as one of the misshapen springs dug into his back, but he didn’t have the energy to move. The apartment was crap, but it was all he could afford when he realized he would have to move out of the dorms.

It seemed like a life time ago since this all began, even though it has only been a couple years.

Stiles had gone off to college, as did everyone else in the pack. He really didn’t want to leave his dad, but he ended up deciding on a school out of state. He was able to get a full ride on his grades. After all the supernatural stuff slowed down, he, Danny, and Lydia were almost at a tie for top of their class.

So he took the scholarship and left Beacon Hills. Everyone else was planning on returning after they were done with school. Everyone but Stiles. He knew his dad had a feeling that was his plan, but Stiles still never mentioned anything about it to anyone. He couldn’t bring himself to. Though, after not returning home for the holidays for the past two years, the pack might be starting to get the point.

But he didn’t feel like he was pack. He wasn’t really sure he ever was. He was human after all. Sure, Lydia and Allison were human (at least non-wolf in Lydia’s case) but they were dating pack. That seemed to stand for something. He wasn’t sure anyone even realized it, but by their senior year, they kept forgetting to invite him to things.

He didn’t even think about it himself until one time Derek asked him why he didn’t show to a gathering. He made up an excuse, not wanting to admit to the alpha that none of his friends that to tell him something was going on. Even though he didn’t say it, Derek had to have heard the lie. But saying it himself seemed so much worse.

But once he started thinking about it, he noticed out off to the side he always seemed to be. Even Scott didn’t act like his best friend anymore, always busy hanging out with Isaac.

He wasn’t pack, not really.

When he learnt about werewolves, he kind of decided that his dream school was out. He had already hesitated over going there because it would take him away from his dad. But he decided it didn’t matter, if he left Beacon Hills, if he didn’t have a place there anyhow. It sucked, having this idea that he wouldn’t see his dad much anymore, but it was better then going back, knowing that the wolves would know he was home just by sniffing him out.

He was sure his dad figured something happened, but thankfully didn’t push it. And everyone else was too busy themselves to question it.

They didn’t even know that he moved out of the dorms, let alone why. Nor that he had to drop out of school. So many times he stared at his phone, thinking that he should at least call up his dad and explain that he wasn’t going to attend classes anymore.

He looked over to the hand-me-down crib next to his bed. He didn’t regret what he had been doing for the past two years. 

He didn’t even tell his dad that he was dating Cora. Well, really that was because they hadn’t really been dating at all. At first it was just this awesome girl that he ended up sleeping with every now and then. They were friends, though they didn’t really hang out but maybe two times a month. The most often they saw each other was when they were having sex.

He wasn’t really sure how it happened. But Cora was in one of his classes and she came up to him, glaring at him. He wasn’t sure what he did to upset her.

It turned out that she could still smell the pack on him. He explained to her that, yes, he knew about werewolves and, no, he wasn’t part of a pack; at least not anymore.

They didn’t talk for probably a couple months after that. They gave those polite nods if they caught each other’s eyes before class or on campus. Until Cora came up to him one day totally pissed off at some dick guy. She wanted to rant to someone who knew about werewolves, so she didn’t have to worry if her eyes angrily flashed gold while she talked.

They talked more after that, but not much. Then there was a party. There was alcohol and Stiles didn’t even know where Cora got some wolfbane laced stuff. That night lead to sex. It wasn’t one of those cliché stories were the girl got pregnant after the first time. Nope, they ended up doing it a lot more than that.

They were something like friends with benefits.

Stiles wondered what it meant that he tried to run away from the pack and the only person he was truly friends with at college was a werewolf. He had other friends that he talked to on a normal basis. But they were those friends that you knew you would never talk to again after you stopped sharing a class with them multiple times a week. He never really talked to them. 

But it was different with Cora. Because she could be her true werewolf self around him and he could talk about the supernatural whirlwind that hit his home town. As much as they talked, they were always a bit vague about the details. Cora knew that back home, a rogue alpha happened and sudden there was a whole pack, but he never really said anyone’s names. And he knew Cora lost her family young, but he didn’t know how.

They talked about so many things but it felt saying the names would make everything more painful. (Jackson was referred to as ‘the lizard playboy’, for example.)

It was like they could talk about it, but details would make it too real. Like the details could hurt them if they were said in their safe haven at school.

He wished he asked her for more details now. Because all he knew is she didn’t have anyone. So he was left to figure out how to bury her after she died during childbirth and how he was going to raise the two baby werewolves (thankfully) asleep in their crib.

Stiles never thought himself in love with her. He loved her, just not in a soul-mate type of way or whatever. Stiles wondered if maybe they had been a bit in love with each other, but like they both knew they were settling. He was sure there were a lot of people out there who did that.

Even if they might have not been in love with each other, when Cora realized she was pregnant and told him, they thought they could still make it work. It would have worked, if she didn’t die.

Stiles knew Cora wanted a big family, like what she had as a kid. She wanted that and was so excited for it.

He was sure there were people that would tell him he was being ridiculous because he was so young still, but he could have made a home with Cora and their pups.

Instead he had a rented car down stairs. He left his jeep back in Beacon Hills and had just been using public transport since he got here. But public transport wasn’t going to work with twin werewolves, during the hours it took to get him to his home town.

He was going to head back tomorrow. What little he had was already packed up into the rented car, waiting for him and his pups to start the drive home to his dad. Because he couldn’t do this on his own.

He had twins. Two babies. Two supernatural babies. It had only been a month since they were born and he was in a consent state of exhaustion. They tended to cry at the same time and werewolves still got colic. And he usually felt like crying himself.

Because being a single parent was hard enough with only one human kid.

**

Driving back to Beacon Hills was a nightmare. Stiles had expected it to be, but the knowledge hadn’t made it any easier.

The only plus side was that driving in the car seemed to help the twins sleep a bit easier.

He still felt like he was going to have to glue his eyes open soon when he entered the town and drove the familiar streets to his childhood home.

He pulled up in front of the house, noting the sheriff car in its spot in the driveway. Most of the stuff he would just leave in the car for right now, but he carefully got the two car seats out and the diaper bag. 

He was nervous as he quietly unlocked the front door. Apparently the nervousness was noticeable because there were a pair of blue eyes blinking at him from one of the car seats.

“It’s alright, monkey,” He whispered.

Stiles let himself inside and gently set the two seats down in the enter hall before calling out to his dad.

“Dad! I’m home!”

He listened to the foot steps coming down the hall. His dad came to him, in his off day clothes. He didn’t even say anything as he pulled his son into a tight hug.

“Hey, Dad,” Stiles sighed, letting the tension that he was scared was permanently set in his shoulders finally relax a bit.

“Damn, kiddo,” His dad replied. “I was scared you were never going to visit.”

“I’m sorry,” Stiles said.

Before he could come up with something that seemed more meaningful, a whine came from one of the car seats. Stiles sighed heavily as he pulled himself from his shocked father to pick up the pup. That was the ‘I’m about to start crying’ warning whine his son tended to give him.

“Shush, now, monkey,” He said and tried pouncing his pup softly. It didn’t stop the crying from starting, though. And it wasn’t long before the second one started. Once one got going, it worked the other one up.

Realizing that there was a second baby that needed to be smoothed seemed to snap his dad out of his shock. His dad easily picked up other pup.

“Sorry, sorry,” Stiles said. “They’re hungry.”

“It’s alright, kiddo,” John said, “Let’s get them feed so you can explain what’s goin’ on here.”

Stiles agreed as he grabbed the diaper bag and headed for the kitchen.

Stiles got two bottles ready in record time. It was something he was actually good at doing when it came to the pups. The last two weeks seemed like nearly non stop crying. He always felt like he was doing something wrong. But making bottles, he got good at that one.

“It’s so much better not having to feed one while the other one is crying,” Stiles admitted when his and his father were both settled in the living room, each feeding a baby.

“Have you been doing this by yourself?” John asked.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “For about a month now.”

“A month?” John gasped. “Kid, why didn’t you call? I could have helped.”

“I know,” Stiles said. “I just… I wasn’t sure how to just call to tell you that ‘hey, I know I haven’t visited in two years, but you’re a grandpa and I need help.’”

“I would have,” John assured. “You’re my kid. I wouldn’t have minded.”

“I know. I really do, I just—couldn’t.”

“They’re yours, right?” John said instead. It was already done, he didn’t want to push his obviously tired and upset son.

“Yes,” Stiles said. He stared at the baby nursing of the bottle in his arms. He knew which question was next and braced himself.

“And their mom?”

“She died during childbirth.”

John moved to sit next to his son before he continued his questions.

“Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“She didn’t have anyone,” Stiles said. “I need to… bury her and everything.”

They was silence, other than the pups nursing, as John took that in. His son had gone through a lot more during the last couple months than he would have ever imagined. It shouldn’t surprise him. Stiles had always been strong and able to take care of things must adults had a hard time getting a handle one. This was the kid was balancing check books and making sure the mortgage payment was paid on time by twelve, after all.

“What’s their names?” John asked, changing the subject.

“This one,” Stiles said, pouncing the infant he was feeding softly, “Is James Jonathan Stilkinski. And you have Laura Claudia Stilkinski.”

“James and Laura, huh,” He said, looking down at his granddaughter. “Did their mom have a say in their names?”

“She wanted to name the boy after her father,” Stiles explained. “And I wanted to give the girl mom’s name. I couldn’t seem to pick a first name, though, not until I saw her.”

“What was her name?”

“Cora.”

Silence fell again between them as the finished feeding and burping the twins.

John shoo’d Stiles upstairs to go take a nap with the twins while he called Melissa to help him make a list of baby things they would need.

“I don’t want the pack to know yet,” Stiles admitted. “I should probably talk to Derek first.”

“Why?” John asked. “Is it really any of his business.” Stiles could tell by his father’s tone that the man put some of the blame of his son running around on the werewolf.

“They’re werewolves, Dad,” Stiles said, realizing he never added that part in. “Their mom was one and they were born werewolves. As the local alpha, Derek has a right to know.”

Stiles never ended up telling his dad about werewolves. He didn’t have to. But the time everyone started their senior year, Melissa had enough and told the sheriff everything herself. Stiles freaked at first, upset that Melissa would do that. Then he realized that his dad wasn’t nearly as surprised as he thought he would be.

“Honestly, Stiles,” John had said. “I’m not the sheriff for nothing. I knew something was going on and it sure wasn’t drug dealing.”

John promised that he would warn Melissa not spill the beans yet, so Stiles went up for a nap. Because he was tired, damnit.

**

After their nap, Stiles brought the pups downstairs. He had to carry them each in their car seats because it was the only way he knew how to move them around at the same time. Seriously, stairs while trying to balance two, month old babies was totally not going to end well. This had been easier in the one room apartment. Even if he had to carry one across the place, he could still see the other one.

He heard his dad talking to Melissa in the kitchen when he got down stairs and followed the voices.

“Oh, Stiles,” Melissa said when he entered, getting up to hug him.

“If you let me set them down, I’ll hug you back,” Stiles laughed.

Melissa let him, determined to get a proper hug, but quickly quested to be introduced to the twins.

Stiles handed her James, knowing he was a bit better with strangers. John was one thing, because Stiles knew his dad would smell enough like him for the werewolf pups.

Before Stiles could pick up Laura himself, though, she started to cry. She didn’t start out slowly like her brother tended to. She started off strong and Stiles knew that look. He was in store for full blown wailing. 

“Sorry,” Stiles said to his dad and Melissa as he tried to shush his daughter. “She has her moments.”

“All babies do,” Melissa said, smiling reassuringly to him.

By the time Laura was screaming full force, James started crying. Luckily not as strongly as his strong lunged sister.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong,” Stiles mumbled as he tired to calm her.

Stiles was so focused he didn’t realize that his dad had gotten up to answer a knock at the door.

“Stiles?” A familiar voiced called behind him.

Stiles paused in shock. Damnit, he was hoping he would have more time to figure out what to say to Derek.

Stiles turned towards him. Derek was focused, wide eyes on the crying baby in his arms, though.

“Oh, Laura,” Stiles sighed, “Please stop crying.”

“L-laura?” Derek gasped, his eyes shooting up to Stiles’, before quickly returning to the infant.

“Um,” Stiles said smartly. It was really awkward to admit that you kind of named your daughter after your ex-alpha’s dead sister. It really wasn’t his plan, but when he first got to hold her, there was something that reminded him of how he always imagined Laura Hale to be like. It seemed to fit and he told the nurse her name was Laura before he could think about it.

Derek suddenly got a determined look and walked up to him. Stiles was pretty sure Derek wouldn’t hurt a baby.

Derek growled softly and flashed his eyes red.

Laura immediately shut up and blinked at the new wolf curiously. James’ crying tampered off too, once his sister stopped. Stiles watched her watch Derek in awe. She was only a month, she was still working on focusing on things. But apparently an alpha was enough for even an infant to zone in on.

He would think about werewolf development later. Right now, he was just happy she wasn’t starting on a three hour crying fit.

“Oh, thank god,” Stiles sigh, letting his head fall lightly against his daughters. “I’m too tired for one of her tantrums.”

“Stiles,” Derek called him, but he refused to look up. “Why do you have two werewolf pups?”

“Because they’re mine,” Stiles said, closing his eyes tightly.

“How,” Derek said. Didn’t ask, said. Stiles hated when he did that.

“I meet a werewolf in college. We had sex and I’m really hoping you can guess after that.”

“Where is she?”

Stiles looked up slowly at that. Apparently all the explaining is happening now.

“Dead,” He said and Derek flinched. “She died during child birth.”

“You called her Laura,” Derek said, nodding to the pup in his arms, instead of adding anything to the last comment.

“That’s her name,” Stiles explained, “Laura Claudia.”

Derek looked at the baby girl Stiles was holding, as if studying her. The pup looked right back at him, then to Stiles’ great surprise, started waving her hands around, like she was trying to reach for the wolf. She was still learning how to work her own limbs, but she did that sometimes when she wanted Stiles to cuddle her.

“Huh,” Stiles said. “She doesn’t like strangers.”

“Has she met any wolves?” Derek asked.

“Just her brother.”

Derek looked over at the second baby at that. He had seemed focused on Laura until Stiles brought attention to James, who now seemed fine in Melissa’s arms now.

“His name?”

“James Jonathan.”

Derek gave Stiles a curious look.

“James Jonathan?” He asked. “Really? How are your pups named after my family?”

“What?” Stiles asked, startled. “I mean, I might have been thinking a bit about your sister when I named Laura. But their mom named James, after her father.”

Derek shook his head softly, seeming oddly confused. “James was my dad’s name,” Derek said. “James Jonathan Johnson.”

“J-Johnson?” Stiles gasped. “But… Your last name is Hale.”

“My dad took my mom’s last name,” Derek explained. “It usually happens with wolves, for the mate to take the alpha’s last name, regardless of gender.”

“Oh god,” Stiles said as he flopped back into one of the kitchen chairs. Not really flopped, because he was still holding Laura, but as close as he could right then.

“Stiles?” John asked. “What’s wrong?”

Stiles shock his head and watched Derek with wide eyes as the wolf kneeled in front of him.

“Stiles,” Derek pushed.

“Do you know anyone named Cora?” Stiles asked Derek.

Derek gave him a hard look. It wasn’t really a glare, though it could be mistaken as one.

“I had a little sister named Cora. Why?”

“Oh god,” Stiles said again. He shifted Laura to rest against his shoulder and kissed her head. He cuddled her, not should how to look at Derek.

He felt Melissa rest a hand on his shoulder and could hear the pups becoming restless at his distress.

“Stiles,” Derek tried again, “What’s going on?”

“Their mom,” Stiles said and felt close to crying. “Her name was Cora Johnson.”

Stiles carefully peeked up at Derek and silently watched Derek’s eyes shift quickly between the two infants. His eyes were wide, and his jaw was slack. He nose twitched softly and Stiles knew he was studying the pup’s scents.

Stiles glanced away from Derek when he noticed Melissa move to set James carefully back into his car seat on the floor next to Stiles.

“We’ll let you two talk,” She said and pulled John out with her.

“I’m sorry,” Stiles said after they left. “I didn’t realize she was…”

“S-she survived the fire?” Derek asked.

“We never really talked details,” Stiles said. “I didn’t even realize that’s how her family died. Oh god.”

Stiles carefully put Laura in her own seat and started pacing across the kitchen.

“Oh god, Derek. I’m so sorry,” Stiles said. “I didn’t realize—I didn’t know she was your sister and then I killed her and—“

Stiles was busy pacing and mumbling apologizes that he didn’t see Derek’s attention snap from the pups up to him.

“You said she died during childbirth,” Derek said carefully.

“She did,” Stiles said, hiding his face in his hands. “But I’m the one that got her pregnant! We weren’t even expecting twins. A-after the doctor said that in werewolves it’s not that odd for it to be hard to tell how many are in there from the ultrasound. The doctor explained what went wrong, but honestly it didn’t make any sense to me. I wasn’t really thinking clearly at the moment.”

Suddenly Derek was in front of him, holding his shoulders.

“Stiles,” Derek growled lightly, “Are you seriously blaming yourself for this? I don’t blame you for not magically knowing her family tree and dragging her here. Nor for her death. If was avoidable, would be the doctor’s fault anyhow.”

“But,” Stiles was pretty sure he was actually crying now as he looked over to the oddly quiet pups blinking at him with their huge eyes. “I took their mom away.”

Derek dragged him into a bone crushing hug. Not literally, though Derek could do that to the human. It was strong without being painful. It was a pretty good hug. Stiles didn’t know Derek could give hugs like this.

“You’re not to blame for her dying, Stiles,” Derek said. “You have told me countless times that I was not to blame for the fire. That was more my fault than this is yours.”

All the stress Stiles had been feeling and the pain of losing Cora, that he had tried to push back because his children need him, broke through. He clung to Derek and just cried. All gross and loudly and he totally ruined Derek’s shirt. 

Derek just held him and rubbed his back through it.

Stiles wasn’t sure how long he cried before he was too tired to cry anymore. Considering how tired he was to begin with, it might have not been very long.

“I don’t know what to do,” Stiles admitted into Derek’s chest.

“You’re home,” Derek said. “You have your dad and the pack and it’s going to be alright.”

Stiles nodded, not letting go immediately. And Derek didn’t push him away.

**

“Sorry about your shirt,” Stiles said when he finally pulled away from Derek. “I can get you another to borrow.”

“We already know your shirts don’t fit me, Stiles.”

Stiles went to the kitchen sink to wash off his face and get a drink of water. 

When he turned back to Derek, he paused upon seeing Derek sitting on the floor in front of the car seats. He smiled and sat next to them.

“Hey monkeys,” Stiles said. He grabbed James’ foot and tugged on it gently. “This is your Uncle Derek.”

Derek seemed pretty entranced by them. Stiles watched his face fill with wonder as Laura squeezed his hand with her little tiny one.

They sat there for awhile, watching the pups. Until Stiles’ ass started to fall asleep. So he got up and picked up James.

“Get her, yeah?” Stiles asked Derek.

Derek seemed to be extra careful as he picked up Laura, but he appeared to know how to support the head just fine.

Stiles lead them into the living room, were John and Melissa were.

“Right,” Stiles said as he sat on the couch, nodding Derek to sit next to him. “I was told a list of baby stuff was being worked out. Let’s have it.”

“We weren’t sure what you had,” John started.

“I only brought what could fit in the car,” Stiles admitted. “We didn’t have much in the apartment. The only big thing for the twins was one hand-me-down crib. It didn’t seem worth it to get a moving truck for that. It would cost more than the stuff.”

“So for right now, they could share a bed?” Melissa asked. “I have a friend I can get a basinet from for at least tonight.”

“That would be great,” Stiles said. “They would probably feel better sleeping together in a new place anyhow.”

“Litters usually sleep together for the first few months,” Derek added his werewolf knowledge.

“Litters?” Stiles said to him. “Really? You get mad at me for dog jokes and yet you set yourself up with something like that?”

Derek just rolled his eyes in reply.

“Is it common for wolves to have more then one at a time?” John asked with a mix of curiosity and some worry. That’s probably not all that surprising seeing as they have a werewolf pack in town that was probably due to start having kids in not that long.

“The doctor said the percentage was about the same as human kids,” Stiles said.

“Litters don’t always refer to twins,” Derek continued. “In packs, if two females give birth within a couple months of each other, the pups are considered to be of the same litter. Most so if the mothers are sisters… Cora was considered to be in a litter with one of our cousins.”

It was weird to hear Derek talk about Cora. Derek didn’t talk about his family. And Cora used to be his thing that was separate from Beacon Hills. It was like the second world he made for himself was crashing into his old one.

“Do you need anything else right away?” Melissa asked, drawing them back on track.

“I should check if I have anymore formula in the car or not,” Stiles said. “But other than that, I should be good. Though, I shopping trip would probably be good.”

“I’ll check the bank,” John started.

“I’ll pay,” Derek said. “Whatever you need for them.”

“Derek,” Stiles said. “You don’t have to...”

Derek shook his head, “I’m their uncle. I want to do something for them… For Cora.”

Stiles let his head fall on Derek’s shoulder, since hugging wasn’t going to happen with them each holding a baby.

“You’re going to do a whole bunch for them,” Stiles said. “Because I get the idea that you’re going to spoil them rotten. But that doesn’t mean you have to buy them everything.”

“I know,” Derek said. “And I know you would figure it out anyhow, but I want to do this, Stiles. Besides, part of the money is technically theirs.”

“You can buy them some stuff and put the rest of ‘their share’ towards college funds, deal?” Stiles offered. He wasn’t the type to look a gifted horse in the mouth. He knew he would have a hard time buying everything. If Derek could buy a couple of the big things…

Derek nodded in agreement.

“I’ll go call my friend about that basinet so they’ll have some place to sleep tonight,” Melissa said and went to the other room.

“These two need to eat,” Stiles said, glancing at the clock. He didn’t take as long of a nap as he would have enjoyed, but he seemed to be on their pups’ schedule. It has been three hours since they last ate and he was surprised they seemed so content. Might as well get the bottles going before they realized lunch was running late.

**

Derek stayed for the rest of the afternoon. He helped with the pups and unpacking the car. They got Stiles’ room cleaned up and the basinet set up in the corner. 

By the time they got all that done, it was almost dinner time. Stiles figured after the long car ride, some tummy time was greatly needed. So he set up Derek and his dad on the living room floor while he got dinner ready. His dad tried to argue that he didn’t need to cook, but Stiles could see his dad wanted bonding. John and Derek didn’t seem like they could ever get enough of bonding time.

Stiles assured that he could use the peace of cooking while having babysitters for once.

He went to fetch everyone when dinner was finished. He paused in the door, though, to watch Derek and his dad play with the twins for a moment. His dad was sitting with his back against the couch while Derek was laid out on his stomach.

“Not even a full day and they already have you two wrapped around their pinkies,” Stiles said. He just knew between Grandpa and Uncle Derek, those two would never want for anything.

“Wait until the rest of the pack meets them,” Derek pointed out. He looked up when Stiles didn’t reply right away.

“I meant to ask about that,” Stiles said. “If they could be pack?”

Derek stared at him and Stiles worried that he was going to say ‘no’.

“Even if they weren’t my niece and nephew,” Derek said slowly, as if Stiles wouldn’t understand. “They are your kids. You’re always pack, Stiles. That makes them pack by default.”

“The pack will be alright with that?”

Derek was glaring at him now.

“They are just going to be happy you’re home, Stiles,” Derek said. “They were starting to realize that you weren’t planning on coming back.”

“You knew about that?” Stiles asked, blushing.

Derek got up, picking Laura up with him. God, Derek was going to tear any of her future boyfriend’s faces off.

“Of course I knew,” Derek said as he walked past Stiles towards the kitchen.

John took a bit longer to get up, picking up James to hand over to Stiles. He cuddled his pup eagerly.

“He stopped by a few times, after you all went off to school,” His dad whispered to him. Actually low enough that wolves wouldn’t be able to hear from the next room. “He knew you weren’t planning to, but he still asked if you said any different to me yet. He missed you.”

John left him with that, going to the kitchen himself. Stiles nuzzled James’ cheek, taking a moment before going to joining them for a terribly silent dinner.

**

Stiles woke up the next morning feeling well rested. That made him sit up in a hurry.

He looked around the room to see the sun lighting up his room and the basinet empty. Still half asleep, he hurriedly stumbled down the stairs.

He nearly fell over as he entered the kitchen, catching the door jam to keep himself upright. He blinked at the scene in the kitchen, trying to make sense of it. It took him moment to fully wrap his head around his dad cooking breakfast with Derek sitting at the table, feeding one twin, while the other sat in the car seat on the table next to him.

“Mornin’ kiddo,” John greeted as Stiles stared at Derek, who just raised as brow at him. “How’d you sleep?”

“So well that I thought it was the end of the world,” Stiles answered. He had accepted that he was going to be woken up by children crying probably until they were old enough to jump on him to wake him up. “I don’t remember getting up for them all night.”

Derek sheepishly looked down to the pup he was feeding.

“Derek stayed the night,” John explained. “We figured you could use a full night of sleep. It seems wolf hearing is great for getting to them before they start crying.”

“You looked after them all night?” Stiles gasped at Derek, who just nodded. Stiles walked up behind him and hugged him around his neck. “Thank you. You are my new favorite. I seriously can’t remember the last time I slept through the night.”

Derek nudged his head gently with his, since his arms were full. Stiles was pretty used to reacting to werewolves now. He wanted to make sure he reacted right to his pups instincts, so after he moved in with Cora, she taught him how to act like a wolf. He knew how to kill a wolf and all that from high school, but a pack of mostly bitten wolves didn’t have the same social actions as born ones.

It was naturally now for him to rub his cheek against Derek’s in reply. He didn’t even realize that it was probably weird until he felt Derek tense.

“Sorry,” Stiles said, pulling back slowly. “Um, Cora kind of gave me a crash course in reacting like a wolf for when the pups were born.”

“It’s fine,” Derek said. “I just… got used to having a pack that thought more like humans.”

He thought about what Derek said. The couples coupled up, sure, but no one else really did. Sometimes during movie nights, they were sit close. But even then, Derek seemed to be on the side lines. Cora had explained to him how often born-wolves touched.

Derek had to be totally touched starved, Stiles realized.

So he wrapped his arms back around Derek’s shoulders. He leaned over him, watching the pup nurse on the bottle. Derek slowly relaxed under him.

“Did you ever explain the touching thing to the pack?” Stiles asked.

“I tried,” Derek said. “But could you really see Scott snuggling up with Jackson?”

Stiles laughed at the mental imagine.

“The touching thing?” John asked from the stove.

“Werewolves are affectionate creatures,” Stiles said. “Hugging and brushing up against pack is a big deal.”

“So they like to cuddle,” John said.

“Yep!” Stiles grinned.

He felt Derek growl and Stiles laughed.

**

John had work that afternoon, but Derek didn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon.

Stiles felt surprised, though he didn’t know why. The man just found out he was an uncle and wanted to get to know them. Stiles got that. Besides, having Derek around was a huge help. He was great with the twins and Stiles was sure they loved him already. 

“The pack will be here Saturday,” Derek offered.

“Everyone?” Stiles asked. Today was Thursday, he noted.

He wasn’t the only one that went off for school. Erica and Isaac were the only ones to go to the community college. He was sure it was hard to get everyone home at the same time. Allison and Scott were going to the same school and lived on campus, but close enough to visit weekends. Boyd’s school was about as far away as theirs. Lydia and Jackson weren’t close enough to visit every week, though. Besides, with papers and tests, they couldn’t always visit. Stiles had used the paper excuse a lot when he first went off to school.

“Next week is spring break,” Derek explained.

“Crap, already?”

Derek nodded as he played with James. “They’re all staying at the house for the break.”

“The house?” Stiles questioned, looking up from Laura.

“I rebuilt my old house.”

“Seriously?” Stiles gasped. “You didn’t tell me that!” He ignored the guilt that came with the flat look Derek shot him. “Can I see it?”

“I thought you could come over this weekend and we could introduce them to the pups,” Derek said like a careful question.

“That’d be great,” Stiles said. “I would like to see everyone.” He really would, but he could hear the hesitation in his own voice. He was worried they would be mad at him for the past two years.

“They missed you, Stiles,” Derek assured.

“What do you say?” Stiles asked Laura. “You want to meet your new pack?”

If the wiggling and coo were anything to go by, she agreed with the plan.

**

Saturday, Stiles and Derek brought the twins to the house early. Boyd, Allison and Scott were all driving in. And Erica and Isaac had gone to the airport to pick up Lydia and Jackson.

The rental car Stiles used to drove down had been returned so they took Derek’s car. A Toyota he never saw before.

“The hell is that?” Stiles asked, staring at the car.

“Erica and Isaac like taking the Camaro to school, so I had to get myself something else,” Derek explained as he worked at getting the car seats buckled in.

“Dude, this is totally a soccer mom car!”

Stiles couldn’t see Derek from his place half way in the back seat, but he could almost feel him rolling his eyes.

Stiles tried to focus on the part of Derek having a soccer mom car and not about how Derek was bent over in a great way to show off his ass.

He thought he was thrown by the car. His jaw dropped when the pulled up to the rebuilt Hale House.

The house looked great. It was nothing like the burnt out shell that he remembered. He could see the ghost of the old house in the design—the front porch was the same. There was grass in front now and even some potted plants on the porch.

Inside was even more amazing. It was bright and warm. Stiles noted what looked like a couple pairs of Isaac and Erica’s shoes kicked off by the front door.

Derek led him to the living room first and set the car seat and diaper bag he was carrying down. Stiles followed his lead as he looked around the living room with a full entertainment center and three fluffy couches.

“We get a tour right?” Stiles asked. He thought he saw the kitchen on the way through the entry, opposite of the living room.

Each carrying a pup, Derek showed him the house. The kitchen and dining room were huge and open. The dining room table was large enough to fit an army, or a wolf pack. Stiles wondered if they ever had Thanksgiving here, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

As Derek showed him were everyone’s bed room and everything else was, Stiles realized that Derek must have had the pack living there (at least part time) in his mind as he built the house. And during the time—almost a year, as Derek explained—that the pack had lived there, their mark showed in the house. There were pictures on walls and nick nacks, obviously not all placed by Derek.

The couples shared a room, but there were still enough rooms for everyone plus a couple extra rooms. Stiles noted how a couple of the rooms, though being used for other things, couple easily be turned into a bedroom if needed. He wondered what Derek had been thinking about with that. Was in case a couple broke up? Was it if someone new got bitten? Or was it for whenever the pack started making pups for the pack. 

Stiles tired to focus on the awesomeness of the house, but this ended up being the thing that made him realize just how long he had been gone. In the long run, two years isn’t all that long. But he supposed he didn’t expect everyone to keep living, as fucked up as that sounded. At his dad’s house, nothing has changed since he left. In fact, things hadn’t really changed most of his life. But the pack had this whole new house and made it their home, even while spending most of their time off at school.

The only person’s room he hadn’t seen yet was Derek’s. He didn’t really see inside any of the bedrooms. Isaac’s door had been left open and he peeked in. Really, he was just shown where they were. 

Derek pushed a door open for him. It was a bedroom, but it didn’t look like he would expect Derek’s room to look like.

Stiles looked at him curiously.

“This is your room,” Derek answered the unasked question. “I knew you weren’t planning on coming back. But it felt weird not setting a room aside. And it made the pack feel better.”

Stiles felt tears pressing against the back of his eyes. He didn’t know what to say and ended up just carefully entering the room, as if it would disappear. He looked around curiously. He could see it, how it was his. There were a couple posters up and couple things on the shelf. Just a thing here or there, other than basic furniture, that still left him plenty of room for his own things if he moved in. It was like they were just getting it started for him.

He found himself imagining each pack member picking something out for the room he has yet to touch, and was now scared to. They set this space aside for him and personalized it for him, since he wasn’t here to do it himself.

He ignored the couple tears that slipped out as he looked at each personal item and wondered who put it there.

Stiles turned back to Derek, who was still standing in the door way, feeling like he should say something. But he had no idea what. Derek knew, like his father, that he didn’t want to come back. If he wasn’t suddenly a single parent to twins, he wouldn’t be here right now. He wouldn’t have ever seen this room. The one that Derek let the pack put together, despite knowing that.

He sat on the bed without saying anything. He noticed a wolf figurine on the night stand. It was black and had its head thrown back to howl, somehow reminding him of Derek.

He wondered if Derek set that there, or if someone else did. 

Derek sat next to him. The twins had fallen asleep in their arms, so it was amazing quiet. They were in the middle of the woods, so there where no cars, though Stiles did hear a bird here and there. It was quiet now, but the warmth of the house, made it easy to imagine the rest of the pack making noise normally. 

It felt like a home.

And it hurt Stiles to realize what he missed.

**

The silence was broken at some point, when the pack started to text to say they were on their way back. The timing worked out so everyone should be there within the same hour.

After seeing the house, Stiles had no idea how he was suppose to act around the nearing pack. As they waited, Stiles grew scared that the pack would be upset at him for taking so long to return. He wondered if they ever realized what Derek already knew or if they had still been waiting.

When he left he had felt so left out of the pack and thought it would be no time before they forgot about him. He figured by the time school was done, the Stiles sized shape spot in Beacon Hills would have healed over (expect to his dad). But his spot was still there and somehow seemed bigger then he thought it was.

Derek suggested the go downstairs before the pack got back to the house.

“Wait,” Stiles paused in the hall, “I haven’t seen your room yet!” 

Derek chuckled then walked over to the door at the end of the hall and opened the door for him. Stiles entered happily, looking around. It was a lot like Stiles assumed. It was like the darkest room in the house—but it wasn’t a bad dark. It was cool and relaxing. It was like an actual wolf’s den.

Stiles took a moment to read a couple book titles on the shelf. He was pleasantly surprised to find a couple nick nacks. They all seemed wolf themed, making him think back to the figurine in his room.

He looked at the large curtains then at Derek curiously. Derek opened them to show large windows that over looked the forest.

“I liked the windows at the loft,” Derek said.

“Wow,” Stiles said. The windows were nearly floor to ceiling. Even though the house was only two stories, the back yard was large and the first trees where the forest started were shorter, giving you a great view. “I definitely agree with the view.”

“There’s one more thing I want to show you,” Derek said.

Stiles agreed and Derek went back out to the hall. There was a door between Derek and Stiles’ room that Derek opened. The room didn’t seem to have a real use, other then storage.

“I thought of turning this into a nursery,” Derek said. “For the twins.”

“Really?” Stiles asked, then realized it seemed weird to say it like that. “Well, you’re their uncle; of course you want them to visit and stuff.”

“You three can come over whenever you want,” Derek said. He saw the hesitation on Stiles face and stepped closer. “Stiles, as far as I’m considered, you are always welcome here. Not just to visit, but as a home. I understand if that’s not what you want, but there will always be a place here.”

Stiles stared at Derek, surprised. 

“I want to come home,” Stiles found himself saying. Derek looked confused.

He was back in town, technically he was home. But it didn’t feel like it.

Before Stiles could try to explain, though he wasn’t sure what he meant himself. Derek lifted his head up and looked to the side. Stiles knew that look—it was the werewolf ‘I hear something’ look.

“The pack is coming,” Derek said. “Sounds like the Camaro and Boyd.”

“Better get down there, then,” Stiles said and started past Derek to go downstairs.

Somehow Stiles was able to get down stairs and settle James into his car seat. (Damnit, his arms were tired from carrying him for so long.) But he was barely standing up straight when Erica bounded through the door and threw her arms around him.

“Still human,” Stiles reminded her since she ran into him a bit hard, but still hugged her back obediently.

“You’re back,” Erica sighed into his shoulder.

“I’m back,” Stiles agreed.

There was a whine from across the room and Stiles looked up to see Isaac looking like he was impatiently waiting for his turn.

“Alright,” Stiles laughed. “Let me greet everyone else.”

Isaac just about tackled him (carefully because of his human status) as soon as Erica pulled away. Lydia didn’t even wait for her turn, just pressed herself against Stiles’ back.

“You’re not allowed to do that again,” Lydia told him.

“Sorry,” Stiles answered.

Eventually Stiles was able to give Jackson and Boyd hugs too. He was surprised by that. Honestly, Jackson. He never thought he would hug Jackson.

“Stiles,” Lydia called after everyone got their hugs.

Stiles turned to her, who was meaningfully looking at the car seat.

“That would be James,” Stiles said sheepishly. “My son.”

“Son?!” People gasped. He was pretty sure even Boyd said it (said, not yelped like most of them).

“Shh, shh,” Stiles rolled his eyes at them. “I know you’re suppose to talk normal while babies sleep, but don’t think that counts group shouting.”

James really didn’t seem to mind that much and kept sleeping, so Stiles wasn’t really upset about it.

“He smells like a werewolf,” Jackson said.

“They both are,” Derek answered for him, entering with Laura. Stiles wondered where the alpha had been.

“And that would be Laura,” Stiles said. “James’ twin sister.”

Lydia hit his arm. “Since when do you have kids? And where’s their mother?”

Lydia’s glare dropped when Stiles said, “She died during childbirth.”

Isaac wrapped himself around Stiles again. He accepted the hug easily. Like Stiles, Isaac had lost his mom young.

“That’s why I came back,” Stiles admitted. “We weren’t expecting twins and without Cora, I couldn’t really raise two werewolf pups by myself. I decided it was best to come as my dad for help.”

“And us,” Erica said pointedly, glaring at him.

“I was going to leave that up to the pack,” Stiles said. “And the alpha of course.”

Derek rolled his eyes, “You know my answer.”

“Yes,” Stiles said. “But you’re their uncle. You’re going to be around anyhow. That doesn’t mean it’s a pack thing.”

“It’s a pack thing.”

Derek wasn’t the only one to say that. Even as a non-wolf, Lydia seemed pretty upset that he would think otherwise.

“I left…” Stiles said, looking around. “It’s that… I mean, I’m not really pack anymore.”

“Shut up, Stilinski,” Jackson said. “You’re pack, their pack. Deal with it.”

**

“Wait, what do you mean Derek is their uncle?”

Stiles sighed, “Can I explain in length after Scott and Allison get here so I don’t have to do this twice?”

Everyone was settled on couches after they put their bags in their rooms. Since Scott and Allison weren’t far off, Stiles decided it was best to let the twins sleep until everyone got there. Even young, they seemed to be getting scents pretty fast. Meeting everyone was likely going to be a whole thing and he didn’t want them to get cranky before they got to met everyone.

Those who were there kept glancing at them, though. Stiles had no doubt they wanted to hold the new pack members. And he saw them trying to learn their scents already.

It didn’t take long before the wolves said that Allison and Scott were driving up to the house.

Even he heard the car park out front and a door being shut. He heard Allison call, ‘Scott! What the hell?’ right before the front door was being thrown open and he was being pulled into his best friend’s arms.

“Dude,” Scott said. “You’re home.”

“Yep,” Stiles agreed and hugged back tightly.

“Stiles,” Allison gasped. Stiles looked over Scott’s shoulder and saw her nearly crying. Fuck, it wasn’t easy to get a hunter crying.

He was 100% sure now that everyone knew that he wasn’t planning on coming home. Lydia probably guessed when Derek and his dad did. He found himself wondering how many unanswered calls it took everyone else to realize too.

Great, now he felt like crying.

Scott let Allison join in the hug, because the wolf didn’t seem like he was about to let go.

“Can we wake the pups up now?” Isaac piped up.

Stiles started laughing into Scott’s shoulder. Allison pulled away, Stiles assumed to give Isaac a questioning look, but Scott wouldn’t quite let him go yet.

“Pups?” Scott asked when he realized what Isaac said and his hold on Stiles finally loosened.

Stiles finally pulled away and smiled at his best friend.

“So, I’m a dad,” He said bluntly.

“What?!” Scott gasped. “Since when?!”

“Well, the twins are about a month old, so,”

“Twins?” Allison asked. Even though she had found the car seats and was kneeling down to look at them.

“Now that everyone is here, I guess I should give the full explanation,” Stiles said.

For the next hour, Derek gave a lesson in properly scent marking new pack while Stiles told everyone about Cora.

“So you’re staying, right?” Scott asked when Stiles was done.

Everyone looked up at that. Apparently it was the biggest question here. Not why he left or how dare he come back now.

God, he couldn’t believe he ever thought these people didn’t want him.

“Yeah,” Stiles said, his voice watery. “Yeah, I’m staying.”

And Scott was hugging him again.

**

After everyone got to know the pups, they started working on dinner. Turned out the normal cooks for the pack were Derek and Boyd.

Everyone fought over who got to feed the pups first. Stiles knew they wouldn’t be this eager when it was time to start changing diapers, but he would take it. He made up the bottles while Derek and Boyd started pulling out things for dinner. Then he sat Scott and Erica down to feed the twins.

Lydia and Jackson had been sidetracked by the pups, but even after only a couple hour flight, they wanted showers before dinner.

That left Allison and Isaac to set the table.

Stiles sat on a stool at the kitchen island and made grabby hands towards Derek and Boyd.

“Give me something to chop or something,” Stiles said.

They did as they were told. Boyd easily sat a cutting board in front of him with a smile.

When Allison and Isaac finished setting the table, they came over to him. Allison sat next to him on another stool while Isaac wrapped around Stiles’ back.

Scott and Erica were sitting at the table feeding the twins. After they were burped, Allison took James from Scott to hold. 

Stiles was glad that the pups seemed to be handling being passed around. Though, Stiles swore he saw Laura glaring when someone decided to change arms when she was comfortable. That was definitely a Hale thing.

Stiles kept finding himself noticing things about Cora and Derek that showed that they were related. Now that he was thinking about it, he wondered how he never guessed. He tired not to think about it, though. Because if he started, he would start feeling guilty that he couldn’t reunite them. 

When dinner was ready, Stiles got the twins into their car seats. The pack seemed upset, but the pups were getting tired and he knew it would just become a big mess other wise. 

“They need somewhere better to sit,” Lydia said, eye the car seats that placed on the floor between Stiles and Derek.

“I’m going to turn one of the rooms into a nursery,” Derek said. “I figured, if you guys wanted, it could be a spring break project. We also need to make sure Stiles has everything he needs at his dad’s house.”

The pack seemed to not have any problem with being giving a job when they were suppose to be on break. In fact, they were down right excited.

“It became a thing for the packs to do while they were home for break,” Derek explained to Stiles. “We usually worked on finishing up, then decorating the house.”

“It’s like pack bonding,” Isaac said. His eyes were all lit up and Stiles was pretty sure he never saw the other boy this happy before. “Fixing up the ‘den’ is a big deal to wolves. It’s fun, but we kind of ran out of rooms. We got bored during the last break and Derek ended up doing a wolf boot camp just to keep us from driving him crazy.”

Isaac looked far too proud about that and Stiles laughed.

“Besides,” Erica added. “Since the pups are new, it will help us bond with them.”

“Did you see your room yet?” Scott asked. “Now that you’re home, we can finish it.”

Stiles was glad he was able to get over the shock of the room before everyone got there because everyone was looking like happy puppies right now. 

“Yep, Derek gave me the tour,” Stiles answered.

The rest of dinner turned into discussing plans for the nursery. Stiles got asked for any preferred colours and such, but he spent most of the time just watching everyone talk. A legal note pad was even bought out for notes and there were polls being taken.

The pack seemed like it got a lot happier since he left. He wondered if having the house helped that much. Everyone seemed to get along now and acting like how Stiles always figured a pack should be.

He didn’t really regret going off to school. He thinks he probably needed it. Besides, he would never regret meeting Cora and getting his kids. But he never realized he would be so glad to be back.

He had made his peace with leaving. But right now, he was never so grateful to be home.

After dinner, Jackson and Scott were in charge of cleaning up. Lydia lead the charge upstairs, Allison and Erica on her heels, to get a lay out of the nursery. Isaac and Boyd were soon being called to start moving things out of the room.

Stiles took the sleeping twins with him to the living room, so he could sit down for a minute and take a breather. He was overwhelmed by the pack, in a good way.

Derek sat down next to him soon after. They didn’t say anything right away.

“Are you sure you shouldn’t be up there, making sure they don’t go over broad?” Derek asked.

“Lydia is in charge,” Stiles said. “There is nothing I can do to stop anything from going over broad. I know they will make it look great, though.”

“You’re fine with it, right? Making a nursery here?”

“Of course I am,” Stiles said. “There isn’t any room for one at Dad’s and it will be nice to have, even if it’s only part time.”

“What do you mean?” Scott asked from the door way of the living room, giving him that confused puppy look that he had even before he turned into a real puppy.

“What?” Stiles asked. 

“Why only part time?” Scott asked.

“I can’t just move in…” Stiles said.

“Of course you can!” Scott argued. “We all live here. We’re mostly at school right now, but we’re going to live here once we’re finished.”

Stiles looked to Derek, hoping for some help. He couldn’t just move in. Sure, he had a room, but that wasn’t necessary for anything full time. And Derek was the twins’ uncle and they were pack, so it’s only normal for them to be over a lot.

Derek didn’t say anything, though, his face carefully blank.

“…Unless you don’t want to,” Scott said. He looked like a kicked puppy.

“I just haven’t thought about it,” Stiles said. “I didn’t think you all would accept me back so easily and I… The house is for pack.”

“You are pack,” Scott said. “You will always be pack. So you left for school for a couple years, that doesn’t change anything. You didn’t stop being pack when you left, even if that was what you were trying to do.”

Stiles felt a stab of guilt at that. He did mean to stop being pack when he left. But hearing Scott say it, while sounding so sad, made it hurt.

Derek gripped the back of his neck in a gentle yet tight hold. Stiles knew he did this mainly to Isaac, when the wolf needed to be anchored.

“I didn’t decide to rebuild the house just because we needed a den,” Derek said. “They needed something to do after you left—we all did. You are a bigger part of this pack then you realize.”

“What are you talking about?” Stiles asked. He was confused and a bit upset. “Do you really expect me to believe that, what—the pack would have fallen apart if you didn’t give them something to do after I left? I don’t have a big part in this pack, I barely had any part. I was the research guy and Lydia could have done that.” Stiles stood up, pulling away from Derek’s hold. He glared at the two wolves. “I left because I knew no one would miss me. Because every time there was a meeting or whatever, no one ever noticed that I wasn’t there!”

**

Stiles stormed outside. He didn’t have a car, so he couldn’t drive off like he really wanted to. Besides, it was hard to make a dramatic exit while trying to juggle two infants. 

So he went with just heading outside to get some fresh air. 

He wasn’t sure if he was still angry about the pack ignoring him from two years before or if he was mad at himself for leaving in the first place.

Building a fucking house because they needed something to do with him gone? What the hell is that about?

This pack that needed and missed him so badly didn’t seem anything like the one he left behind when he went off to college. 

He felt like crying, because this is what he had wanted in the first place. He just wanted to feel like he belonged here. It turned out that he did, he just hadn’t gotten the memo. He hadn’t talked to his dad for two years trying to avoid the pack because it hurt him so much to think he didn’t belong with them.

“Stiles?”

Stiles nearly jumped when a voice broke through his thoughts. He turned towards the house, finding Isaac awkwardly standing there.

“Scott and Derek are scared to come out here, thinking they will say something to make you more upset,” Isaac added as an explanation.

“So you volunteered as tribute?” Stiles asked.

Isaac shot him a careful grin and stepped closer. “What’s wrong? Did we do something to upset you?”

“I don’t know, maybe,” Stiles said then sighed and let his shoulders slump. “I think I’m mostly upset with myself.”

“Why?” Isaac asked, giving him a curious tilt of his head that made him look like a puppy.

“I left because I didn’t think I had a place in Beacon Hills—in the pack—anymore,” Stiles explained. He sat down on the plush grass and motioned to Isaac to join him, who did so easily. “I couldn’t imagine that anyone would miss me, but then I get back here and there is this perfectly cut out Stiles shaped place, with carefully sanded edges and all painted. I don’t understand where it came from.”

“Of course we missed you,” Isaac said. “You always had a place in the pack, Stiles. Why did you think you didn’t?”

“You guys stopped inviting me to things,” Stiles said as he played with pieces of grass between his legs. “You guys didn’t notice when I wasn’t there.”

“It’s not that we didn’t notice, Stiles,” Isaac said. “We just… expected you to be there. Like how Derek just always seemed to be there—we never remembered inviting him, but our alpha was still there. We weren’t ignoring you, Stiles, we were taking you for granted.”

“What?” Stiles gasped, looking up from the grass to try using Isaac’s expression to figure out what he was talking about.

“You really never realized that you helped Derek lead the pack, did you,” Isaac asked.

“No! What are you talking about?! I did no such thing!”

“Of course you did,” Isaac argued. “You made Derek clean up the loft and get real furniture for it. You made every one pick at least two back up colleges, enough though Erica and I knew we were staying here and Lydia got mad at you for thinking she needed a back up. You helped Jackson with that final paper when Lydia wouldn’t help him because they were having a lovers spat again. You made sure we ate right and did our laundry. Dude, you were totally the pack mom!”

“I was what?”

“Derek is our alpha. He can pay for our school and build us a house,” Isaac said. “But you’re the one that made a crappy loft a home to a bunch of orphaned wolves.”

Stiles felt like crying again.

He was still taking in Isaac’s words when Erica came out and honestly crawled into his lap. It was so much like what Cora would do when she had nightmares about her family dying that he started petting Erica’s hair before she was even settled.

“We’ll start calling you mom if we have to,” Erica said and Stiles realized that rest of the pack must have been listening to the whole thing. “Just don’t leave again.”

“I’m sorry,” Stiles said. “I wont leave, I promise.”

The rest of the pack was soon placed around him on the grass in front of the house. All of them wanted his attention like a bunch of puppies and Stiles made sure to scent mark each of them. The only one not on the grass was Derek, who was standing on the pouch, watching them.

Stiles realized that if he was the mom that totally meant that Derek was the dad. So him standing off to the side totally wasn’t going to happen.

“Hey, guys,” Stiles grinned at Derek as he addressed the pack. “Your dad seems pretty lonely over there, better not let him feel left out.”

Stiles was pretty sure he saw a couple evil grins as the pack jumped up to go after Derek. He laughed as he watched the wolves play tag with their alpha was he sat in the middle of the yard with Lydia and Allison.

**

Stiles’ dad took it well, not even seeming surprised, when Stiles went over to pack an over night bag. He explained to his dad that he had talked to everyone and was going to stay mainly at the Hale house. Though, he promised he would stay at least a few nights and do a bunch of quality time with his dad after the pack went back to school next week.

John insisted he understood Stiles wanting to spend time with his friends while they were in town and said he would put in a request for less hours next week so they could do more together.

Isaac and Scott had driven him over and helped put the basinet in the car to bring over for the twins. The pups had stayed at the house with Derek and the rest of the pack. He trusted Derek, he really did, but running over to his dad’s house was honestly the longest he had ever been away from the twins in their whole life. Given, they’ve only been alive for a month, but still. 

He had wanted to take at least a few minutes to talk to his dad, but he was anxious to get back to his pups. His dad just laughed and waved him off, promising they had plenty of time to talk later. 

By the time they had gotten back to the house and set up the basinet, it was late. The pack seemed to want to watch a movie, and truthfully, it wasn’t quite so late that a movie was unreasonable—even to people other than a group of college students. But Stiles was tired and went off to try his new bed.

Even though there were enough bedrooms for everyone, there was still some bathroom sharing happening. Stiles couldn’t help but look at the personal items on the sink. There was probably a three people pre bathroom and he remembered seeing one down that hall during his tour that seemed to have a lot of female related things. He wondered if the girls just shared a bathroom between themselves. He wasn’t sure who else used the bathroom closed to his room, but from the cologne, he thought Jackson might be a likely guess.

After brushing his teeth and using the toilet, Stiles went back to his room. The twins were sleeping soundly in the basinet next to his bed. He took a moment to glance over the room again, thinking of the pack setting it up with him in mind.

The bed was comfortable—soft with a fluffy comforter. He usually left the curtains open for the pups. Cora liked to be able to see the moon as much as possible and it had become habit for him. Enough moonlight shown into the room that he could still see the wolf figure on his night stand after the lights were turned out. He stared at it for a while, until his eyes grew heavy.

**

The next couple days were busy making sure the pups had everything they needed.

Stiles had planned on getting some things to keep at his dad’s house out of his own money, but before he could get anything, the pack had already delivered a mountain of things to the Stilinski home. And what was brought into the Hale House was even more. The pack didn’t seem to have any problem spending Derek’s money.

Stiles tried to offer paying Derek back at least part of the money, but the werewolf wouldn’t hear of it. Literally—Derek took to just leaving the room when Stiles tried to talk about money.

Though Stiles had seen many things brought into the house, he had yet to see inside the nursery. He wasn’t allowed to until it was finished. He was asked occasionally which color he liked more or if he had any ill feelings to random things (Stiles was pretty sure they were adding more onto that list to throw him off the scent, or so he hoped, because at one point Lydia asked him what his feelings on walruses were).

So Stiles spent his time with his pups and random pack members. The pack seemed to be on a rotating shift of between working on the nursery and spending time with Stiles. Everyone seemed determined to finish the room within seventy-two hours.

The only one not helping with the room was Derek, who spent most of his time getting to know his new niece and nephew. When it was just the four of them, Stiles would tell Derek about Cora. Simple things, such of what she liked to eat, her favorite colour, and whatever stories Stiles could think of.

Derek kept his eyes on the pups during all this, but Stiles could tell how intently he was listening. Eventually, Derek quietly added a couple stories of his own. Truthfully, they didn’t seem to know a whole lot about Cora in the end, but Stiles hoped, between the two of them, it would be enough for the twins to know what their mother was like.

Stiles wasn’t totally sure what the pack was doing in the nursery that it took seven people to do, let alone how that many people were fitting in the room. But on the third day, during the after noon, Isaac came down stairs and flopped on the couch with a tired sigh. It must have been his and Allison’s shift, because she followed him down.

Stiles handed Laura over to Allison for the hunter to hold.

“How’s it going?” Stiles asked.

“We’re close,” Allison smiled and coo’d Laura.

“It should be done by tonight,” Isaac added, not bothering to open his eyes.

Allison went to sit next to him and Stiles watched curiously as Isaac automatically dropped his head onto her shoulder.

Honestly, Stiles had lost track of who Allison was dating back in high school. She had taken multiple brakes from Scott, then senior year, she switched to Isaac at least twice during a break up with Scott. Stiles watched Allison curl up with Isaac, realizing she must be dating him now. He just wondered if it was long term or if she would be dating Scott in a couple months ago. He made a mental note to ask Derek how long term it was likely to be next time they were alone.

**

True to their word, the nursery was finished by that night.

Though Stiles was going to have the twins sleep through the night in his room for awhile yet, he was looking forward to not having piles of diapers in his room. He planned on having them try taking a nap in there tomorrow. Plus, he saw a changing table being brought in that he was looking forward to using.

Since the twins were too young to appreciate an unveiling, Stiles was the one who got his eyes covered and lead into the room. He was looking forward to it, though, after seeing what a lovely home the pack had made out of the rest of the house.

The room was perfect.

The walls were pale green, with trees painted in a darker shade. There were two cribs, but one seemed to be housing a small zoo of stuffed toys, probably until Stiles decided that the twins should start sleeping in separate beds. All the normal baby things were there, like the changing table he had seen and a rocking chair by the window. The room honestly looked bigger than it did when it did before somehow.

Stiles was holding James, Derek next to him with Laura.

“What do you think, sweethearts?” Stiles asked the twins. “Did the pack do a good job?”

The pack was mostly in the hall, giving Stiles room to look around.

He looked closer at some of the toys and noticed they were forest themed. Of course, there were plenty of wolves. But there were foxes, rabbits, owls, and deer there too. He looked through the stuff toys in the crib that was full of them, to the point that he could barely make out the blue bird theme bedding under all of them (he glanced at the other bed and smiled at the little wolves). Two wolf plushies got his eye; a black one that looked oddly like Derek and a tan one that somehow looked smug and looked like Cora. He picked them up, holding them so James could see them. He seemed to like them, as he laughed and waved he hands around.

Stiles gave James the black one, which he instantly clung too. The stuff toy was nearly the size of the infant and Stiles huffed out a laugh at the sight. He turned around, to where Derek was showing Laura some things on the shelf. There were some books and more toys.

Stiles walked over and gave Laura the tan wolf plushie.

He turned to the pack, who were lingering in the doorway.

“Guys,” Stiles smiled. “Seriously, it’s perfect. Thank you.”

Then he made a huge patch of his mom’s cookies for them.

**

During the rest of the week, Stiles just enjoyed visiting with everyone. They all talked about school; trading stories about what they had been up to over the last couple years. It was awesome hanging out with everyone.

Plus, endless supply of babysitters. 

When Cora had gotten pregnant, Stiles had expected to never get a proper night sleep again. At least not for a few years. But it was different when you had a whole pack there. After the first couple nights of someone knocking his door in the night when one of the twins would cry to ask if he needed anything, Stiles just started sleeping with the bedroom door open. Now, if he didn’t just sleep through the whole thing, he would wake up to find a wolf, usually Derek, there tending to the twins. 

There was usually at least one bad cry each night, where both twins would start up good and Stiles would get up to help out. He was surprised one night when he had been woken up by James and was able to get to the boy before a wolf showed up at his door.

And there was one night, where Stiles didn’t have to get up at all. The twins were amazingly quite for once. They woke up, of course, but a wolf had gotten there before Stiles even woke up, all but once during the night. And that night, when Stiles woke up to the twins’ noises, Derek was there.

“I got it,” Derek had said to him before he could climb out of bed to help. “Go back to sleep.”

Stiles stayed curled up in his bed, but he didn’t go back to sleep. He ended up laying there and watching Derek with them. Having younger cousins and siblings, Derek knew how to take care of a baby. And Stiles had catch him once, reading a baby book to brush up. There was something about it, though, watching Derek take care of them. The big bad wolf, grumpy with judgmental eyebrows, carefully holding a small baby, giving them soft smiles and blowing on their tummies.

It never failed to make Stiles’ chest swell and his stomach flip.

It got a bit harder when everyone went back to school. The loud house quieted way down. Erica and Isaac were the only ones staying at the house, but between classes and studying, they either weren’t at the house or in their rooms working on homework. They, of course, took breaks to play with the pups though.

Derek was there, though. Stiles honestly didn’t know how he had done without him before. He was always there. In his room in the middle of the night so Stiles could get more sleep. And he was even there half the time he was with his dad, taking a crying pup away from him, so he could continue his conversation with John.

Stiles was feeling bad, really. He felt like he was relying on Derek too much to help raise his kids, but when he asked Derek, the wolf didn’t seem to mind.

“We’re pack, Stiles,” Derek told him. “I’m happy to help; all of us are. And… They’re my family.”

Stiles hugged Derek tightly. He never thought hugging would be a thing with Derek; he always thought he would get his face ripped off if he tried.

But to his surprise, Derek returned the hug, holding him close.

“Twins are hard,” Derek said softly into Stiles’ neck, making him shiver. “Their werewolves, your kids, pack, and my family. I have every reason to be here for them.”

Stiles wondered if them being his kids were actually a big of a factoring point as it sounded when Derek said it like that. But he just said ‘thank you’ and held onto the hug for a bit longer.

**

The pack went all out for Stiles’ birthday.

They watched the twins in the morning, so Stiles could go out to breakfast with his dad. 

Stiles sat across from his dad at the diner. It was a cliché diner, really, but his mom had loved it and it was close to the station. So it was family tradition to celebrate birthdays here. They had missed a few between supernatural stuff and him going to college. It felt good to do something normal, just with his dad, after so long.

He kept thinking of the twins, of course. It was hard to be away from them. He kept having to remind himself that they were in the safest place in the world: with their pack. If a pack of protective werewolves couldn’t protect them, then nothing could.

That didn’t stop him from talking about them for most of breakfast. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure how he could talk about them this much. They were only a couple months old, it wasn’t like there was a whole lot of stories about them yet. Luckily, John had no problem talking about his grandkids. Though, he did try to nudge Stiles into talking about himself when he could. He had missed his son and wanted to talk about him too.

After breakfast, the pair went back to the Hale house. 

In the short time that since Stiles had left that morning, they were somehow able to go all out in decorating. 

The whole pack was there, because this was apparently a big enough deal to make sure they were all home from school for. Stiles couldn’t help being surprised, but he was grateful. Melissa came too, of course. As well as Parrish, his dad’s new deputy that was some weird supernatural. (No one knew what yet and Stiles was looking forward to reading into that.) Even Danny came. 

The party was great. There were presents, a bunch of food (seriously, a BUNCH. There was a whole pack of werewolves to feed after all), and a delious cake. This was like the best birthday party Stiles ever had.

The party was all set up out back. It was getting late, but the party was still going. He was pretty sure a big part of that was that the twins were back up from their nap and everyone was enjoying them.

He took a moment and slipped into the kitchen. He was having a great time, but he needed a breather. He never had many friends, really just Scott. So big birthday parties were never a thing for him. He felt the love, seriously.

But he got a reminder of his last birthday. It was just him and Cora last year. She wasn’t pregnant at the time, but they were pretty close by then. He had let it slip that his birthday was soon, so Cora got a silly pre-made cake from the store. It was Marvel themed and freaking awesome. And a stupid little gift. 

It had been a pretty good birthday, though. It was so different from this one, but he knew that birthday would always have a special place in his heart.

He rubbed his face, feeling the tears behind his eyes. God, he missed her so much.

Just a few months later, it was her birthday. They had just found out that she was pregnant by then. There was a heaviness to her birthday because of it. But Stiles got her a present, and one for their future baby, and promised her he would always be there for them. 

He never thought so much would happen in a year. It never crossed his mind, that a year later, he would be without her.

“Stiles?”

Stiles turned around, to find Derek in the door way. He was pretty sure a couple tears were about to leak and Derek looked concerned about it.

“Sorry,” Stiles mumbled, smiled half heartedly. “I was just missing Cora. I spent my last birthday with her, and…”

Derek was across the kitchen faster than Stiles could register it and pulled him into his arms.

Stiles clung to Derek and couldn’t help some tears from slipping out.

Stiles recovered fast and pulled back from Derek, though not enough to fully take him out of his space.

“It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to, cry if I want to,” Stiles sung softly.

Derek let out a noise that Stiles was pretty sure what supposed to be a chuckle. He pulled Stiles back to him, so Stiles’ head was resting on his shoulder and pressed his lips to the crown of his head.

Stiles tilted his head back to look at Derek. God, his eyes. Stiles had always been amazed by them and couldn’t help getting a bit lost in them.

Derek seemed to be staring right back and moved to cup Stiles’ jaw.

“Are you planning on leaving again?” Derek asked softly.

Stiles shook his head and held Derek’s hand to his face.

“Leaving once just about broke me—I can’t leave you a second time.” The urge to correct the ‘you’ to ‘the pack’ or ‘Beacon Hills’ was strong, but he bit his tongue. 

Yes, leaving everyone was hard—mainly his dad, but kids were expected to adventure out, at least a little in college. But leaving Derek had been the hardest.

“If you change your mind. Next time… Take me with you.”

Stiles hadn’t realized they had been slowly leaning into each other. Nor did he know who finally pushed forward the last inch.

In high school, Stiles always figured if he kissed Derek, it would be in a fit of anger.

But this was soft and sweet—like Derek when you got to know him.

It was everything he missed and didn’t know he wanted all in one.

It was like coming home.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why my last two fic titles have 'home' in them........ Excuse any typos, I have no beta.
> 
> I do some art too, on [IG](https://www.instagram.com/darkwolffire_studios/)  
> Or visit me on [tumblr](https://www.darkwolffire.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Kudos are love!
> 
> Thank you, loves <3


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